“This piece arrived in a simple looking box and when the top was opened, my first impression was that I was looking at something very, very beautiful … something very special that will be exciting for potential collectors,” said Henry Howard-Sneyd, Sotheby’s vice-chairman of Asian art in North America.

The bowl had a presale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000, the auction house said.

During day two of Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction in New York, the auctioneer recalled the reaction he got from the family who owned the bowl, when he told him how much it sold for.

“I got an e-mail that said in capital letters, WOW, and then wow again with a line of exclamation marks,” said Howard-Sneyd. “I can say they were very pleased.”